I have had a lot of experiences where those who have gone on come to me in my dreams. This, I'm sure, is just part of the process of remembering them, but there were times when I wasn't so sure they were simply just dreams.

After my grandfather passed away, I dreamed he was driving me and my mother somewhere. He was very intent on gett us to this new place, which was somewhere in Mississippi.

I told my mother about the dream, but I neglected to tell her where we were going. She told me that she had a similar dream, except he and my great uncle were standing somewhere in the south. She said the my grandfather was pointing to a map and my great uncle turned to my father, who at that time was still alive, and said with a sort of smile, "Richie, you better get a suit ready."

My father passed away a couple of months later from an unexpected illness. He was 62.

Last night, I had a dream I was with my mom. I almost felt as though I was meeting her for the first time. She kept talking about her mother, and everywhere we went there were literal signs from her mother (my grandmother). She kept pointing them out without really paying much attention to them. There were billboards to her from 'her mother,' and my mom would just point to them and say, "Ups, there's another message from my mother." I kept calling these things 'messages' in my mind. I can't help but think that my grandmother was trying to tell me,

"Hey, tell your mother that I'm trying to give her some messages."

I find this to be of great importance considering the recent loss of my father.

I had a similar experience about 10 years ago. I had a dream that I went to the hospital looking for my grandfather (who had been dead for more than 10 years at the time I had the dream). I started on the bottom floor of the hospital, and at each floor, I asked for my grandfather and they would send me up to the next floor. I'd ride up in the elevator to the next floor, again ask for my grandfather, and again be told to go up one more floor. Eventually, I arrived at the top floor and the elevator opened up onto a beautiful, huge penthouse suite, lavishly decorated. No one was there, but very soon, my grandfather came walking out of another area of the penthouse, saying, "Oh, good, you're here. Hurry up, I'm taking you to see your mother." My grandfather was dressed in a beautiful old-fashioned suit and was carrying a wooden cane. He was walking just fine, but was using the cane. At the time he died, he hadn't been able to walk for several years due to a stroke which affected one side of his body, and he was using the cane on that side of his body. He kept telling me to, "Hurry up, hurry up," all the while walking quickly ahead of me, with me trailing behind. Very suddenly, he stopped, turned and looked me right in the eye. He said, "You know, if you kill yourself, you won't be able to be with your mother and me." Then he turned and continued walking and that is all of the dream that I remember.

I called my mother the next morning and told her about the dream. She asked me whether I had been thinking of killing myself or was depressed or anything, and I told her that, no, I wasn't, everything was absolutely fine. It was the most vivid and strange dream. But after talking to my mom about it, I shrugged it off and didn't think of it again.

Several months later, my mom died very suddenly and unexpectedly. She was only 52 years old and I was completely devastated by the loss. We were very close and talked on the phone daily, sometimes several times a day for hours at a time. Her loss left a huge whole in my life and I began having some emotional issues because of it. I was depressed, felt as if I couldn't focus or concentrate on things and felt as if I was losing control. It seemed impossible to me to just carry on with the daily activities of living with my mother gone, and hard to understand that the world was continuing without her. I was an emotional wreck and was having problems at home and at work. One day, I took a few days from work and decided to drive over to visit my father, just to get a chance of scenery, get away from pressures, get some peace and quiet and spend some time with my dad. The drive to my father's house included a one-hour drive over some very high, curvy mountain roads with straight drops off the side. As I was driving, I felt so alone and hopeless and filled with pain. I wanted the pain to stop, and saw no end to it in sight. I thought about how it would be so easy as I was driving just not to make a turn, just to keep driving straight and go over the edge and end my pain. As I had that thought, the forgotten dream about my grandfather suddenly popped back into my mind. I heard him saying in my head, "You know, if you kill yourself, you won't be able to be with your mother and me."

It was a very weird moment. I hadn't even thought about the dream for months, and at the time I had it, would never have imagined being at a place where I would even consider hurting myself. I truly believe now this was a message from my grandfather, who knew what was going to happen and how badly I was going to take it, and who wanted me to be able to recall the dream during that dark moment to give me hope.

I went to a counselor and got help then, for what was apparently some kind of emotional or nervous breakdown. I would never have imagined myself sinking to such a place. I don't even believe at all that suicide is an answer for anything, and in fact think it is a very selfish consideration, especially considering that I have children who would be devasted themselves by something like that. But when things get very dark and bad, I guess we stop thinking rationally and can begin to lose control. I think my grandfather very well may have saved my life during that time. At the very least, he gave me a very real message that there is more than this life we are living on earth and gave me hope.

Wow. Your story is beautifully inspiring. I imagine that our family members watch over us and tell us these things all the time. We probably don't really notice them until we need them, as is in your case. It seems like there could have been two messages, one being the obvious, and the other being, "Don't worry, your mother will be just fine."

I am very glad that you had this dream and that you are still here to tell the story. This will definately leave an impression on me. Thank you so much for posting this because it reaffirms my hope that there is a 'better place,' and that our dearly beloved are possibly there.

Yes, Dev, I also felt that the experience gave me a real sense that there is a "better place" where we may be reunited with our loved ones. I had many strange experiences in the period after my mother's death. In fact, one afternoon, I was sharing with a friend and colleague about how hopeless I was feeling. She told me that it was very important for me to have faith, to fall back on my faith at that time, when it felt as if there was no rhyme or reason to anything. I told her I was having a difficult time feeling any faith at all.

That evening, at home, I was cleaning out a drawer in my bedroom, just doing some routine cleaning, and came across the charm bracelet my mother had given me for my 13th birthday. I hadn't been able to find it for some time, several years, but there it was wedged in the back of the drawer. Although I'd added charms over the years, when my mom gave it to me, it had two charms on it that she bought for me, one was a pink #13 for my 13th birthday and one was a little clear orb with a mustard seed suspended inside. Looking at the bracelet when I found it in the drawer, I remembered that my mom had recited a Bible verse to me when she gave it to me and told me the mustard seed was a symbol of something, but I couldn't remember what. (I am a spiritual person, but was never a regular church-goer).

I went and got the Bible then and looked up "mustard seed" in the concordance and found the verse, which basically said that all you need to have is just a little faith, even so small as a tiny mustard seed. I know many people think that stumbling on the bracelet that very evening was a coincidence, but I took that as a message from my mom, a reminder that I needed to hang in there and have even a tiny bit of faith to get me through, although things seemed so dark and hopeless at the time.

I had several such experiences during that time period, which was 10 years ago, but haven't had anything for a long time. I miss that feeling that my mom is still around and wish often that I could get another message or sign that she is still with me in some way. But I guess they come when we most need them.

I almost want to cry reading that. That was definately a message. Everything has a purpose, and I am starting to think that your stories have the same kind of purpose for me. I am going to go to work today thinking about the mustard seed concept. You are a blessed person. Thank you.

I'm so glad my experiences were able to bring you some comfort, as they brought to me. I'm sorry about the recent loss of your father. I lost my father, too, about four years ago. I do believe our loved ones are with us, though, in some way, and we will feel their presence when it is most needed. Hang in there.

Bringin' It, thanks for the story, it was very inspiring. What really got me thinking, though, was that your grandfather said, if you killed yourself, that you couldn't be with him and your mother. I don't believe in the Christian-type of heaven and hell, but I remember the movie "What Dreams May Come" where Robin Williams' spirit guide tells him after his death that people who pass over create their own imaginary world, at least for a while, and that people who kill themselves in despair create their own private version of hell they get stuck in. Very, very interesting to hear something similar from you...

I'd like to share a story, too. Shortly before my father passed away, my mother, aunt and I visited him in the hospital. He'd been very ill with respiratory problems for years, with hospital stays off and on, but when I saw him that time, he looked very frail and was fantasizing most of the time. Now I have to mention that I never felt really close to my father, we didn't have too great a relationship. I also have to mention that for years, we had been preparing for his death, but he was so afraid of dying that you couldn't even mention the word in his presence, or he would jump at your throat. He hung on desperately for years, like a drowning person to a lifesaver.

When I came into the hospital room, his mind wasn't clear. But when I looked at him, my vision all of a sudden shifted and his face was overlapped by a shadowy-looking little thing, crying and moaning and begging to be allowed to leave. I knew immediately it was his soul talking to me. I didn't say anything to my mother or aunt.

At that point I was already a Reiki master, so I sat down, put my hands together inconspicuously and started communicating with this little soul. I could literally hear it crying: "Let me out, let me out!" It was an incredibly intense experience. I kept repeating in my mind: "I understand your pain, but you're allowed to go now. Go into the light. God is waiting for you." I repeated that over and over until the little thing calmed down and brightened a bit. I felt such an overwhelming compassion and love for that little soul (that I had never felt for my FATHER) that I spontaneously said (in my mind): "Go into the light now. I love you very much. Go in peace."

At that moment, my father, who had been in a half-trance the whole time, looked directly at me and gave me a radiant smile, his eyes being totally clear. It still makes me cry when I think about it. At that very moment, I knew that I had made my peace with my father. There was no unfinished business left, nothing left to be said or done. It was one of the most uplifting and miraculous experiences I ever had.

My father died three weeks later; I saw his body and he had a very peaceful look on his face. I was the only one who didn't cry at his funeral and my relatives called me heartless, but they didn't know what I knew.

Hi All,
Just had to add something this thread. Two nights ago my Mom had a very vivid dream that involved her sister. My Aunt died in Feb 2004, and my mother has grieved for her every moment of every day since. My Mom described the dream as unlike any other dream she'd had, very vivid in color, and with a feeling of "reality" that she found impossible to ignore.

Here's the dream:

My Mom was seated in the back pew of a very large church, very ornate and beautiful. There were other people there, but seated in small groups, far from her. The alter was at the end of a long, long aisle, but one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen. It was quiet and peaceful. There were also several dark figures seated directly in front of her.

Someone sits down beside her, and my Mom turns to see it is my Aunt. Here's the conversation:

Mom: Oh Helen, you let your hair grow.

My Aunt: (sort of surprised by the observation) Oh yes, it is longer. I'll have to have that seen to.

Mom: I miss you

My Aunt: I know you do. But I don't want you to worry about me. I'm okay. (pauses for a second) I'm very okay.

At this point, one of the figures seated in front of them turned around, as if to listen. My Mom said "it" was dressed all in black, with a white face and no visible features. It frightened her (she said part of her fear was that this interuption would send her sister away), and she glared at it saying, "I'm not afraid of you. Turn around and stop bothering us. This doesn't concern you." (BTW, this is SO my Mom's style, I actually laughed when she told me this part.) The figure turned back around and my Mom went back to her conversation.

Mom: Are you with Mama?

My Aunt: (very frimly, smiling) Yes. Yes I am.

Mom: I miss you so much. I'm so sad without you.

My Aunt: I know you're sad, (sounds almost regretful) but I don't want you to be. I'm happy.

Mom: You're really okay Helen?

My Aunt: Yes, I'm okay. I'm very okay.

What a wonderful gift… a comforting message not only for my Mom (who is struggling so hard right now) but for me as well. I think my Aunt was trying to tell us both something very important. And she succeeded.